About Jillian Garrigues

VARDAMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – This weekend the streets of Vardaman will be filled with the smells and sights of all things sweet potato. It’s Sweet Potato Festival time in the sweet potato capital. One hidden treasure in the Calhoun County town bakes unique treats, all from sweet potatoes, Sweet Potato Sweets.

Sweet Potato Sweets has been selling the unique confections since 1996, when the wives of three farmers got an idea.

“Their wives were sitting around thinking, maybe we could sell a sweet potato pie in Vardaman. A lot of people said there was no way they could sell a potato pie in Vardaman. 17 years later, yes, we are still selling sweet potato pies, along with about 40 different items,” Holder said.

Sweet Potato Sweets is a must stop if you are ever traveling through Vardaman. During the busy Sweet Potato Festival, thousands of visitors will stop by to pick up some tasty treats. The holiday season is busy too. The bakery prepares during the potato harvest, freezing their puree and making thousands of pies and breads ahead of time. The recipes were developed over 30 years and the sweets are shipped all over the world.

“This time of year we bake from 8:00 a.m. until we go home. Closer to Thanksgiving we’ll even have a second shift stay late in the night depending on how much we have on hand and how much will be shipped out or ordered for the next day,” Holder said.

Employees say the bakery can still be successful through a bad crop year. This year farmers say the potatoes are looking good, and Sweet Potato Sweets will continue to represent the sweet potato industry.

“Where else do you find a store that makes everything from sweet potatoes? We represent the sweet potato industry here in Vardaman,” said Holder.